A Mature Meeting
by Terraphantom
Summary: This is an alternate world where Arnold's parents came back, and how that affects Helga's life.
1. Pweschool

. . .I'm going to pweschool." She called out as she stepped out into the cold rainy morning, boots splashing through the puddles as loudly as she could manage, trying to drown out the tinkling of the piano keys until she was far enough to no longer hear them. She wasn't afraid, and she wasn't angry as she stormed down the few city blocks to her school, she just felt the same emptiness inside that had been there as long as she could remember. She ignored the stares of the concerned adults, as she passes them on the street. She'd made the trip a dozen times before and never needed anyone to help before, and wouldn't be needing it today either. Sighing to herself as she nears the clear doors to the preschool, socks soaked from driving her feet into the puddles, bow and pigtails drooping from the sopping rain. Nearly within arms reach of the door, a car rushes past driving too close to the sidewalk, covering her, head to toe in mud from the gutter, which of course meant the mud had added bits of filth would be found as she cleaned herself off later.

She stood there a moment, as if waiting for something. But no beat up green Packard pulled up, no sweet little boy took notice of her, shielded her from the rain and complimented her bow. No she was alone like always and turned back, opening the doors and taking her place among the other children. Her teacher excused her from the first activity to go to the bathroom to clean up. She pulled the pink, white and now brown dress over her head, leaving her standing in the cold bathroom in just her slightly less wet underwear. Shivering she placed the soiled garment into one of the lowered preschool sinks, turning both knobs to let a high pressure stream of warm water wash away the muck that clung to the fabric. As to be expected she found more than a few cigarette butts, and a bottle cap at the bottom of the sink when all the brown had been washed down the drain. Discarding the trash that had come off her dress she rung it dry as best she could, then did the same with her socks.

The stool they kept in the bathroom to help the shorter children reach the sinks, had a long narrow back to it, over which Helga draped her dress and socks. She positioned the stool against the button of the electric hand dryer attached to the wall. As hot air began flowing out of the dryer's head she took hold of it with both hands, and with some effort managed to twist it into position. Like this hot air would dry her clothes for her, giving her time to turn back to the mirror above the sink; The mud on her face was next, though the flimsy brown preschool paper towels were little help. Almost ten minutes later the last of it was cleaned away from behind her ear. Content she'd cleaned herself best she could she ran a hand over her dress, which was still moist. She'd have to wait, hiding herself in the stall nearest to the hand dryer, she sat, all but naked teeth chattering away muffled only by the sound of the old dryer working to keep the constant stream of hot air going.

Alone wasn't hard for her, her biggest worries were someone would walk in, and see her clothes there and take them as a cruel prank, or find her helpless and shivering. The only person to come in however was her teacher. Who noticed her clothes set up before calling out.

"_Are you alright in there Helga?" _Her face went red, knowing the teacher had to be looking right at her makeshift Laundromat.

"_I'm fine, I'll be out in a few minutes." _The teacher made her way out of the bathroom without another word, making a note to call the girl's parents later on.

Another ten minutes passed and Helga resolved to get out of that bathroom dry clothes or no. Fortunately her dress was almost completely dried by then, though her socks still squished a little when she walked. Pulling it back over her head she readjusted her bow, and checked herself over for any bits of muck she might have missed. Satisfied with her appearance she rejoined the class, just as snacks were being handed out. She took her seat at one of the tables, taking the plate of buttery cookies from the boy who'd been assigned to hand them out. Her stomach growled loudly, there had been no breakfast waiting for her when she woke up. She was going to savor these, her mother had remembered to pack a lunch, which at worse would have been inedible and at best unappetizing. So aside from dinner, (Which would taste bitter, having to hear about her sister's most recent accomplishment while choking it down.) This was likely to be her only good "meal" of the day. However while she'd been thinking this over, she'd failed to notice Harold, (The only boy to be left back in preschool) had taken the paid of cookies from her plate and shoved them into his gaping maw, with a cackle.

A tear came to her eye, and she looked away. Again the odd feeling that she was waiting for something over took her, and she looked up, finding no offered plate waiting for her. So the tears came freely, as the emptiness she normally felt, was compounded by the ever growing emptiness in her belly. Harold laughed a moment before realizing there was nothing left to eat, and being Harold was still very hungry. A quick survey of the room and he found his next target, a bespectacled girl with her back to him, playing with some blocks. Her cookies set on a plate beside her. Sneaking up from behind her he planned to play the same trick as he had on Helga.

Still crying Helga looked over seeing what the pink boy was about to do, and she felt something she hadn't before. Her tears stopped and her teeth clenched, along with her fists. She stood from her seat and rushed over to him just as Harold was leaning over. Pushing him down and away from the plate.

"_I don't remember hearing you ask if you could have her cookies geekbait. Leave her alone or you'll have to deal with ol' betsy and the f...five avengers." _Harold stunned began muttering something back, only to have Helga jump up and onto his overstuffed belly.

"_Get outta here before I really make you sorry_" Harold moved away quickly after that.

Helga turned with a confident smirk about to proclaim herself boss of the whole preschool when she saw the girl she'd helped holding up the plate of cookies. "_Wanna share, I'm Phoebe, thanks for helping me." _Helga stopped, and the anger subsided, she smiled and took one of the cookies from the plate before sitting down next to her. "_It's nuthin, someone needed to teach that kid a lesson."_


	2. Olga's Coming Home

Helga awoke, her stomach in the same knot as the night before. She'd been dreading this day for a month, the first day of spring break from Bennington college, the day her older sister Olga would be coming home. She reached out, ticking the off switch on her alarm clock as she rolled over to confirm the time. It was 6 am, well before her Mother would be awake, and well after Big Bob had left for another day ruling his beeper empire. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes she set her feet down on the cold hard wood floor of her bedroom and made for the door. She didn't need to be quiet, it would take a freight train to get Miriam out of her alcohol induced stupor. So she paid no mind as the floor boards creaked or how the door to the bathroom squeaked as she closed it behind herself.

Her blonde hair sticking out wildly as she looked herself over in the mirror. Reaching for the pair of tweezers she kept in one of the drawers she set to work plucking the hairs from the center of her forehead, keeping her eyebrows from connecting. It wasn't that she cared what those around her thought of her, let alone her appearance. No each painful yank reminded her that there were some things in her life over which she had control, whenever she looked in a mirror and saw the two separated brows she'd know it was her decision to look like that.

With a twist of a knob the shower head sprung to life sputtering out water still warm from Big Bob's shower less than an hour before. Pajamas tossed to the side she stepped in, turning on the small water proof radio stuck to the tiled wall. As she washed she listened to the weather forecast for the day. Working a palm's worth of shampoo into her hair she sighed contently, enjoying the hot cascade of water for half of an old Sonny and Cher song before finally rinsing the thick lather away.

Stepping from the shower she took a towel from the cabinet, drying the excess water dripping off her body. Returning to the mirror to brush her teeth, she tied the plush towel around herself. Spitting out the stinging mixture of peppermint and saliva she took hold of her discarded clothes and returned to her room. She placed the pajamas in a hamper she kept behind her door, learning long ago not to rely on her mother to wash her clothes, unless of course she wanted them back late, shrunk and stained with bleach.

The forecast had been for a clear warm day, and she dressed accordingly, pulling on her trademark white and pink dress, her bow having long since been abandoned she pulled on her blue cap, and twisted her hair into low hanging pigtails. It was only 6:30 by the time she was ready to head downstairs, giving her just about an hour before she had to catch her bus. Deciding on a simple breakfast she slid a few frozen waffles into the toaster as she set to making herself lunch. By the time the peanut butter sandwich, apple, and granola bar were stowed in her lunch box the waffles sprung up, slightly browned around the edges.

She took her time with breakfast, flipping through the channels on the small TV in the kitchen as she ate, letting her mind wander hoping to think of some way of avoiding her sister for a whole week. As she pulled the last syrup soaked bite into her mouth she stood from the table and brought her plate to the sink. She rinsed the remaining butter and syrup from it before placing it in the dishwasher for whenever her Mother got around to doing a load. Grabbing her lunch she depressed the power button on the TV and headed down the hall, taking her backpack off the hook where she'd left it the day before. Without a word to anyone she opened the front door and

The walk to the bus stop was a short enough one, but she always gave herself plenty of time to get there, a combination of her preference for preperation and her desire to get out of the house as quickly as possible.

_ "Crap how am I gonna get out of spending time with little miss perfect?_ She asked no one in particular as she slumped down on the enclosed bench, eyes upward watching clouds passing in front of the sun. The bus came and she still had no idea what she was going to do, showing the driver her student ID, her eyes scanned the seats. Finally they settled on the mousey japanese girl towards the back. Phoebe smiled and waved, and Helga responded in turn as she made her way towards the seat that had been saved for her.

"_Ohayo Helga."_ Phoebe offered as Helga took the seat beside her.

"_Ohayo Phoebe."_ She replied with a smile. It was then that she realized that Phoebe could be her way out, she'd stayed over her house plenty of times before. While she knew she probably wouldn't be able to stay over During Olga's entire visit she could certainly manage a day or two away from her family's fawning adoration of her older sister, enough time to get the really obnoxious stuff out of the way.

"_Hey Phoebe, you think I could stay over your place tonight?" _She asked trying to sound casual, not wanting Phoebe to think something was wrong, she tended to worry about Helga more than she should.

"_Oh any other day would be great but, you see Gerald was suppose to come over to study. . ."_ Helga couldn't help but smirk as her friend went red in the face, she'd had a crush on Gerald for a few months now. With a nudge of her elbow she interrupted the flustered genius before she could try to apologize.

"_Don't sweat it Pheebs I just thought a night away from Bob and Miriam would do me some good, who am I to stand in the way of true love."_ Teasing with a mockingly husky voice, illiciting a giggle from the girl beside her. Though she smiled and joked on the outside her heart sank a little, she'd have to sit through all the, "Mummy, Daddy(s)" all the "I just couldn't decide which boy I liked more." When Phoebe looked away she rolled her eyes and slumped back in the seat, never wanting so much for a school day to drag.

Three hours later, Mr. Simmons was his usual over positive self, going on about the north and the south having a "Difference of opinion." She had already read ahead, and only his attempts to downplay just how gruesome the battles really were, kept her amused. The rest of the time she wadded up strips of paper from her notebook and lazily flicked them at random targets around the room, seeing how many she could get in someone's hair before they noticed then moving on to the next.

When the bell for lunch rang she gathered her things, and made her way out the door. On her way to the locker Harold in his usual feeding frenzy was already through his own lunch and half way through a stolen one while still in the hall way, bumped into her, squashing said stolen lunch against his chest. She'd been putting Harold in his place for years now, but every few months it was like he got amnesia and tried the same tough guy routine on her that worked on everyone else. "_You should really watch where you're going with those great big feet of yours, you made me spill my lunch, don't you think you should say you're sorry." _Doing his best to sound menacing as he pounded his fist into his other hand.

_ "I don't don't know what learning disability it is that makes you forget that I don't take crap from you like everyone else, but I assume it's the same one that keeps a thirteen year old in the fourth grade, now I suggest you keep walking before I make you eat my fist!_" One hand took hold of the portly boy's collar, yanking him closer, as her other hand clenched into a fist raised up inches from his face. It wasn't more than five seconds before Harold was crying, and running down the hall screaming for his mommy. With a contented sigh Helga took her lunch from her locker and headed into the lunch room to enjoy her meal.

She spent recess like she always did, a few minutes chatting with Phoebe as they finished the last of their lunches, then the two would made their way over to the swings. A quick glare from Helga sending the two already occupying them running.

"_You enjoy that too much Helga." _ Phoebe said with a laugh as she climbed onto the swing beside her.

"_Maybe you're right but it gets the job done._" She laughed back as the two tried to see who could get higher, Helga almost always winning. She dug her heels into the bare dirt below her swing, realizing that the last teacher on break had gone back inside. she called "SUICIDE" as loudly as she could taking the tennis ball from her pocket, as some of the braver students congregated around the brick wall of the building. It was her favorite game. She could usually go the entire game without loosing the ball let alone get pegged herself. The bell rang ten minutes later, just as the tennis ball bounced off the wall, hitting Eugene(who hadn't been playing) in the back of the head.

The rest of the day went far too quickly for her liking, minutes seemed like seconds as they ticked away to her sister's inevitable home coming. Then in what seemed like like only a few minutes the school day was over. She figured walking home would buy her a little more time, maybe even avoiding Olga's actual arrival. She waved to Phoebe who was boarding the bus with Gerald and began the long walk home. In an effort to make the walk last she took turns she knew she didn't have to, avoided any shortcuts she'd learned over the years. Eventually finding herself in on a street littered with historic looking buildings. It wasn't far from the Deli where her mother on occasion sent her, she wasn't lost, but she'd never taken the time to look around. It was then she noticed the oldest building, a beaten down old boarding house. A sign hung out front "Room To Let $25 a night." Helga's lips curled into a grin, and she sped off home, knowing exactly how she'd be avoiding her sister the whole week.


	3. Sunset at the arms

As Helga entered her home, she was actually relieved to hear the familiar sounds of her parents fawning over Olga in the kitchen, it would make her plan that much simpler to implement. It hinged on the oh so predictable neglect that she'd come to expect from them, and Olga's presence magnified that a thousand fold. Rushing off to her room she began piecing together everything she would need. Little more than a half an hour later she was downstairs again, placing her suitcase by the front door before she approached her father, who at that moment was enthralled by her older sister's tale about how she ended up playing both leads in the drama societies latest experimental "Performance." Sliding a piece of paper and pen towards her father Helga asked simply.

"_Hey dad, sign this wouldya?"_ Not bothering to take his eyes away from his favored child Big Bob took hold of the pen and scrawled his signature on the indicated line. Handing it back with a half mumbled.

"_Sure thing Olga."_ Helga took it, not bothering to correct him for once. She called out to her mother, who was busy stirring a drink. "_I'll be staying over a friends for a few days Miriam."_

A half hearted wave and bob of the head was all she got from her mother as she made her way out the door, down the street and back towards the boarding house. Rapping her knuckled on the old wooden door as the sun began to set, Helga began to feel a knot forming in the pit of her stomach. Hearing someone approach from the other side she gulped down hard, dismissing the anxiety best she could, confidence was key to the plan.

When the door did open she had to jump to the side as a wave of what appeared to be barnyard animals came barrelling out, followed soon there after by an aged man in suspenders. Wire thin arms and chest resting on a very pronounced potbelly. To describe his face as angular would be an understatement, looking much like the last squash at the bottom of the after Halloween sale at any grocery store, with two fuzzy eyebrows as the only real hair to be found.

She only had time to take his features in for a moment before he asked the question she'd been expecting.

"_Can I help you with something young lady?_" His wrinkles becoming more pronounced as his lips curled into a comforting smile.

"_Yeah I'm here about the room, how much to stay a week?" _She was determined not to let her voice crack or quiver as she spoke, eyes locking with the older man, one of his bushy brows raised in suspicsion the smile having run from his face.

"_Well it's twenty five a night, but aren't you a little young to be staying by yourself."_ One hand moving back to scratch the back of his head as his eyes dart down to the suitcase clasped in her hand.

"_I have a note from my parents giving me permission."_ Reaching into her pocket she produced the paper she'd had her father sign. The typed letter read as follows:

I give my daughter Helga G Pataki permission to stay at the sunset arms boarding house

from April 24th-April 30th

I can be reached at 555-4392.

Followed by Big Bob's very real signature at the bottom. The old man who'd greeted her looked the impersonal note over before stepping to the side to let her in.

_"Why don't you go in the kitchen while I call your parents?" _This was the real moment of truth, as Helga stepped in and walked towards the room to which the older man had pointed she knew this was the biggest risk. Her mother was sure to be in a haze, but to what degree was unknowable, too clearheaded and she'd be caught, too out of it and the old man would probably become too suspicious to let her stay. Not to mention the chance that Olga or Bob might be the one to pick up, or just how specific the old man was in his queries.

Phil was no idiot, he'd checked the number on the note against the phone book, and sure enough the only Patakis listed matched the number given. He dialed it, and after half a dozen rings the slightly slurred voice of a middle aged women answer.

"_Uh-Hello, Pataki residence." _Phil turned his back on the kitchen, making sure the girl wouldn't be able to listen.

_"Hi there my name is Phil, from sunset arms, your daughter Helga is here, and wants to stay for a week, I just wanted to make sure that she really had your permission, she seems a little young to be staying here."_ Miriam just happened to be in the sweet spot of her Alcoholic haze, light headed from a few "Smoothies" but not unconscious behind the couch. She'd gotten most of the words in the right order, but a few of the details blurred with what was said and what she'd expected to be said.

_"Oh no, Helga's done plenty of these little sleep overs, I'm sure she'll be fine at your house."_ In Miriam's mind, she was talking to Phil Sunset, the father of the girl Helga had gone to stay with.

"_Well, if you think that's for the best, I'll let you know if anything comes up."_ After a quick _"oh uh-huh"_ Miriam hung up, leaving Phil to turn back to the girl, who seemingly had permission to stay. Helga tried not to look expectent, as if she knew her Mother had given the go ahead, breathing a sigh of relief as he said.

"_Well I guess you're staying with us, that'll be 175 dollars for the week."_ He held out his hand, this was the last test, if she really was trying to pull something it was unlikely a nine year old would have that kind of money without their parent's consent. To his surprise however she pulled out her wallet and produced the money. Helga couldn't help but smirk at spending some of the money from the spelling bee Big Bob had forced her into on this.

_"Your room is up the stairs last door on the right, we'll call you for dinner."_ That was that, he'd done everything he could think of to prove she was telling the truth, and it appeared she had been. Still scratching his head as he watched her ascend the stairs.

The room was tiny, one bedroom, with a pull down bed, there was slightly damp smell and the TV still had rabbit ears. To Helga it was paradise, no melodious voiced sibling to contend with or take messages for. No parents sickeningly singing her praises day in and out. Even as she heard the various fighting going on in the other rooms of the boarding house she felt at peace.


	4. Hey Arnold

Helga laid on the old bed for a while, content with how well her plan had come off. Olga would be gone on the 30th and she could return to her life of bare-able neglect, but there was no way she would willingly stand witness as her parents actively ignored her in favor of someone else. She paid no attention to the call to dinner, reaching for a bag of chips taken from her room at home, and the half eaten sandwich left over from her lunch, when her stomach did eventually begin to growl; Hoping to prolong her isolation a while longer.

She could tell when dinner was over, the sounds of a dozen or so feet stomping up the stairway mingled with arguments carried over from the meal landed on her ear. As the other boarders began to bicker in earnest she found her contentment subsiding. So she stood and flipped on the old black and white TV set on the dresser opposite the bed. Only managing to get public broadcasting and the news with the bent antenna. With another flip of the switch the snowy picture faded, the anchorman's voice with it. Her eyes scanned the room, finding the window her only other hope at a diversion.

With a little coaxing the stuck window slid open, giving her access to the fire escape. She stepped out into the cool early spring night, turning her gaze upward. The stairs went up one more floor then a ladder could be used to access the roof. On her way to the ladder she peered into the one remaining window between her room and the roof. Through it she saw what looked like an attic converted into a guest room, nothing special about it. There was a bed, a chair and desk with a boombox on it. As she looked closer she noticed a backpack slung over the back of the chair.

With a shrug she took to the ladder, pulling herself onto the roof, she'd see a boy her own age on the opposite end, leaning against the edge of the building looking down at the street below. He was blonde like her, hair standing up wildly on his oddly shaped head. He wore a brown button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbow, the bottom of it coming to the thigh of the plain jeans he wore.

"_Hey, you with the head."_ She called out with trademark Pataki subtly, arms crossed eyebrow cocked as he turned. For whatever reason, her heart skipped beat right before he spoke, though the feeling quickly passed.

"_I assume you're talking to me?"_ A knowing smirk crossing his lips, with that noggin he must be used to remarks like that by now.

"_Yup, I didn't think any other kids were staying here, what do your parents live here or something?"_ She was moving closer now, there was no reason to be hostile towards him yet, and he let her close some distance before he responded, not wanting to shout.

_"No, my parents and I live up by Bennington College, they teach there."_ By now she was leaning on the edge beside him, listening as it became clear why she didn't recognize him, he lived up near Olga's college, probably a know it all show off like her.

"_So why'd they stick you here?"_ There was that sick little part of her that wanted there to be a depressing (But not tragic) reason for his staying at the boarding house, having already decided not to like him to some degree.

"_Well they had to go down to South America this week, normally I would go with them, but I never really get to spend time with my grandparents, they own this boarding house. So I decided to come stay with them for a change, how about you?" _He smiled that Genuine smile at her, and that caught her off guard, the only person who ever looked at her like that was Phoebe. A very faint flush washed over her before she was reminded of why she'd come here in the first place.

"_Not too different from you actually, I spend a lot of time with my parents too and decided to take a break from them._" Smiling smugly as she boasted her new level of independence.

"_Woah so you just left without asking, or telling anyone, won't someone be worried about you?"_ He was standing away from the edge now looking eyebrows drawn together in concern.

"_I sorta have permission but that's about the size of it, but I doubt anyone's gonna be too concerned they have a very busy week ahead of them. Don't you dare spill any of that to your grandparents, got it foot ball head." _Finger pressed to his chest while Old Betsy was clenched into a fist.

"_Fine I won't say anything, but I really think you should tell your parents where you are. The name's Arnold by the way."_ Shoving her finger away, defiant eyes staring right back unblinkingly into hers.

_"You're okay Arnold."_ Backing off a little with satisfied grin. Her still clenched fist colliding with his arm playfully, but with enough force to leave him rubbing the sore spot it left.

_"I'm Helga."_


	5. Helga on the Roof

"_So, do you go to school up near the university or what?_" Helga asked as she slid down onto the gravelly roof, back pressing against the short wall that ran around the edge of the building. Eyes lifting, half focused on him and the few stars visible despite the ambient city light, as she awaited his response.

"_Actually I'm home-schooled, not that a lot of it takes place at home. My parents have to travel a lot, they only teach like one semester out of the year, the rest of the time we're in South America, or Africa, or anywhere with a jungle really." _He took up a seat next to her as he spoke, her eyes following him.

"_Sounds pretty exciting." _Helga thought of her last trip with her parents, a whole week stuck in a bungalow by the beach with Bob and Miriam that seemed to drag on forever. She'd won second place in the sand building contest, which is was the most exciting thing that happened all seven days.

"_Ever get lonely?"_ She asked without realizing.

"_I guess, a little. I mean everyone feels like that sometimes, but I'm always with my parents, and I meet a lot of interesting people."_ Helga could tell he wasn't just trying to convince her that this was the truth. There was the slightest quake in his voice, and his smile saddened some; he wasn't quite as content as he told himself he was.

"_Must be nice, I'm lucky to get five words from Bob or Miriam a day." _She turned away from him, color rising to her cheeks, at having revealed more than she normally would tell anyone, even Phoebe, let alone some foot ball headed boy she'd just met.

"_I'm sorry Helga I didn't mean. . ."_ Helga cut him off with a growl and cold stare, rising to her feet to tower over him.

"_Listen up, and listen good foot ball head, I don't need some know it all Indiana Jones wannabe I just met getting all touchy feely. So why don't you just stay outta my way and keep your mouth shut about what I said for the next week." _Fuming she turned and hastily made her way back down the ladder, slamming the window shut once she was back inside her room; The noise of the fighting outside had already died down. She flung herself onto the bed, staring up at the wet spot on the ceiling, grinding her teeth.

"_Where does he get off, acting like that, I'll give him something to apologize about."_ Helga reached up, suddenly feeling a droplet of water streak across her face. She drew in a long breath through her nose, and wiped away the moisture from her eyes.

"_The heck is wrong with me?_" She couldn't remember the last time she'd cried, or the last time she'd gotten that angry. Sure sometimes she was aggressive, even downright mean, but it was always the mean to an end, scare Harold, get a better seat little things to make her life easier, but she'd never just exploded like that.

An hour passed before the tears stopped, her eyes red and puffy, nose running as she opened the door to the hallway, tooth brush in hand as she walked to the communal bathroom. Head turning as Arnold emerged from the stairs leading up to the attic guest room. He looked as if he was about to say something when she rushed inside, locking the door behind her. He persisted, and rapped his knuckles against the hard wood.

"_I'm really sorry I didn't realize how sore a subject it was." _Helga didn't respond, wiping the tears from her eyes as he continued.

_"You were right you know, it does get lonely my parents get busy, and all I ever meet are other adults, sometimes there are kids in the villages we help, but I never even have time to learn the language let alone make friends."_ With a quick glance in the mirror, Helga made sure the redness in her eyes had abated before pulling the door open. She found him sitting, back to her where the door had been a moment before.

"_Don't sweat it Arnold, I was being a jackass maybe puberty's hitting me early or something." _He gave a chuckle and turned to find her outstretched hand, which he took and pulled himself up. She'd accepted his apology but there was still his own problem to deal with.

"_How about you come to school with me tomorrow, I never did throw anything together for Simmons' show, tell, and feel thing. I won't have to make some junk up on the spot and you can meet some kids from the same hemisphere as you._" Arnold's eyes brightened, and he gave a quick nod of that oddly shaped noggin of his. There was something about knowing that she'd made him happy that filled Helga with joy. Her features becoming flushed at the realization they'd been standing, staring at each other for going on thirty seconds with neither of them saying a thing.

"_Well guess, I'll head to bed. speaking of which be ready to go by seven tomorrow."_ Already taking into consideration that his stop would be a little later, being closer to school than her own.

"_Yeah I'll uh, see you then." _Arnold offered in response as he moved out of Helga's way, waving to her as they both headed back to their respective rooms, with her returning the gesture just before closing her door.

"_Tomorrow's gonna be interesting."_ A warm wave of contentment washed over her as she changed and slid under the musty covers of the old bed, mind going over the events of the last few hours. She'd escaped the torment of having to endure her older sister in a way that ensured no one would come looking for her, convinced an man to rent a room to ten year old for a week, and met a singularly odd young man named Arnold.

"_I gotta be careful not to spill my guts to him like that again, why did I do that? _


End file.
